diff --git a/lib/main.js b/lib/main.js
index 5971a1a..27fe5b8 100644
--- a/lib/main.js
+++ b/lib/main.js
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ var contains = require( '@stdlib/array-base-assert-contains' ).factory;
 var firstCodeUnit = require( '@stdlib/string-base-first' );
 var firstCodePoint = require( '@stdlib/string-base-first-code-point' );
 var firstGraphemeCluster = require( '@stdlib/string-base-first-grapheme-cluster' );
-var format = require( '@stdlib/string-format' );
+var format = require( '@stdlib/error-tools-fmtprodmsg' );
 
 
 // VARIABLES //
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ function first( str ) {
 	var n;
 
 	if ( !isString( str ) ) {
-		throw new TypeError( format( 'invalid argument. First argument must be a string. Value: `%s`.', str ) );
+		throw new TypeError( format( '1gp3F', str ) );
 	}
 	opts = {
 		'mode': 'grapheme'
@@ -102,23 +102,23 @@ function first( str ) {
 			options = n;
 			n = 1;
 		} else if ( !isNonNegativeInteger( n ) ) {
-			throw new TypeError( format( 'invalid argument. Second argument must be a nonnegative integer. Value: `%s`.', n ) );
+			throw new TypeError( format( '1gp3X', n ) );
 		}
 	} else { // nargs > 2
 		n = arguments[ 1 ];
 		if ( !isNonNegativeInteger( n ) ) {
-			throw new TypeError( format( 'invalid argument. Second argument must be a nonnegative integer. Value: `%s`.', n ) );
+			throw new TypeError( format( '1gp3X', n ) );
 		}
 		options = arguments[ 2 ];
 		if ( !isPlainObject( options ) ) {
-			throw new TypeError( format( 'invalid argument. Options argument must be an object. Value: `%s`.', options ) );
+			throw new TypeError( format( '1gp2V', options ) );
 		}
 	}
 	if ( options ) {
 		if ( hasOwnProp( options, 'mode' ) ) {
 			opts.mode = options.mode;
 			if ( !isMode( opts.mode ) ) {
-				throw new TypeError( format( 'invalid option. `%s` option must be one of the following: "%s". Value: `%s`.', 'mode', MODES.join( '", "' ), opts.mode ) );
+				throw new TypeError( format( '1gpE1', 'mode', MODES.join( '", "' ), opts.mode ) );
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 8d54291..5868346 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
     "@stdlib/string-base-first": "^0.2.3",
     "@stdlib/string-base-first-code-point": "^0.2.3",
     "@stdlib/string-base-first-grapheme-cluster": "^0.2.3",
-    "@stdlib/string-format": "^0.2.3",
+    "@stdlib/error-tools-fmtprodmsg": "^0.2.3",
     "@stdlib/utils-regexp-from-string": "^0.2.3",
     "@stdlib/error-tools-fmtprodmsg": "^0.2.3"
   },